


Episode Ten:  Secrets Left in the Wastelands

by keirajo



Series: Transformers: Star Voyager [11]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 19:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15371850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keirajo/pseuds/keirajo
Summary: Destiny.  Is it really something Magnus should deny, if Hot Rod is truly meant to do something epic with his life?  The time has finally come to leave the colony of Corona behind and set out to warn the other colonies about the threat of Megatron and the possibility of Unicron...........the first stop, the barren colony of Fortress.





	Episode Ten:  Secrets Left in the Wastelands

**Author's Note:**

> So, there's a bit about Drift's past finally introduced here--as well as his reason for leaving the Decepticons. But what I would like to point out that this universe's version of Starscream (as Drift mentions him a lot here) is much like the "Micron Densetsu/Armada" version of Starscream--a bit more on the cool, honorable side. Oh.....and the swords. I like sword-wielding Starscream, actually............ :)
> 
> Funny moment.......every time I read and write Fortress--for some reason my brain inserts "Forretress". You know. That weird-looking pinecone Pokemon. I don't know what's wrong with my brain sometimes. At least I don't type it in the story.......! XD

_**Episode Ten:  Secrets Left in the Wastelands** _

 

 

            Magnus awoke from recharge to find a body halfway draped over his, plus a white-armoured arm draped across the body that was draped over him.  _How did this even happen?_    Had they all not agreed to keep sleeping in their own separate rooms?   He very much would have liked to have facepalmed himself over this particular scenario, but was absolutely pinned by the two bodies that had climbed into his berth sometime last night.

            It was most likely that Hot Rod had had another one of _those_ dreams again.   Those dreams left him anxious—and also seemed to keep triggering his flame ability.  The strange thing was that Hot Rod would _never_ describe the details of the dreams to either Magnus or to Drift, he’d just mention the name of Unicron and then go silent.   When Hot Rod felt he might have one of those dreams some night, he would just wander off to sleep with either Magnus or Drift for the entire night…….it also seemed to kill his incessant desire for interfacing.  The young, flame-colored mech would just cuddle up at one of their sides and ask to be held as they drifted off to recharge together.

            Hot Rod, for his part, couldn’t figure out why Magnus was so reluctant to share berths, anyways.   Drift felt he knew why, though.  All Drift did was just to sit Hot Rod down one morning and tell him to give Magnus some more time.  The former Decepticon explained to the younger mech about Magnus’ PTSD and what might be his triggers—especially from a _soldier’s_ view of the condition.   Even though Magnus was opening up to their growing relationship as a threesome and potential trine…………the _potential of loss_ was like a vast wall to Magnus.  For the one who had once been called “ _Ultra Magnus_ ”—he had been _very_ attached to his Prime and the Voyager Class elite unit……..the loss of them in his life, reinforced by the trauma of the terrorist attack, it meant that working past the sense of loss he’d gained was more difficult than he could ever say.

            Magnus was chipping away at that wall, _slowly_ , and he really would _eventually_ get there.  He would be able to deepen the relationship and one day to bring them all together for a _true bonding_.  Drift had said to Hot Rod that the day that Magnus was the one who suggested Spark-bonding, it would show that he’d finally found a way to move past his trauma and buried feelings of loss.   However, to force it all on Magnus right now, all at one time, would be _far too much_.

            Until that time, the threesomes they indulged in were actually _helping_ give Magnus better weapons with which to break down that wall holding him back from a true bonding.   The former soldier was growing more and more comfortable with his and Hot Rod’s sexuality, sometimes even being on the more aggressive end of desire.  Drift had proven to be good at not just teasing, but _encouraging_ both Hot Rod and Magnus to try more things and to not be hesitant on speaking about what they wanted and needed from their partners.  The grey-and-white mech could also bring them all to a very satisfactory completion—absorbing what charge he could from their fields to satisfy himself as well.

            Magnus had been very curious at how Drift had learned to manipulate fields to the point of pulling apart the layers of charge and emotion away from each other.   He basically explained that he was “inserting” his field into theirs and bleeding off the electrical charges that built through incredibly intense emotions—he was feeding off of their emotions to feel their passion and their desire and their sense of satisfaction when reaching overload.   As for being able to manipulate others sexually……….meaning to use his servos and mouths to pleasure them…………he had learned how to do so to all manner of mechs and femmes from his sword teacher, Starscream.

            _::You awake, Magnus?::_   Drift comm-linked him.

            _::Yes.  May I ask why you are **both** here?::_    Magnus responded via comm-link.

            _::Hot Rod’s dream was very bad last night.  He was sitting and rocking on his aft outside your door…….I told him that we may as well just go in and recharge with you,::_   the grey-and-white mech sighed.   _::The fact that he keeps dreaming about Unicron deeply concerns me.   I believe that it’s **more** than a mere dream.::_

            _::What do you think we should do?::_   The former soldier inquired.

            _::We need to find the current Prime and warn him about Unicron,::_   Drift answered, softness in his comm-link voice.   _::Megatron had said that the one who held the Matrix during the time of the council had given it to a young mech called **Orion Pax** —who then took the name **Optimus Prime**.::_

            _::Commander Pax?  Of Iacon’s police force?::_   Magnus said, turning his head to look over Hot Rod’s shoulder at Drift’s faceplate.

            _::You’ve met that mech?::_   The former Decepticon inquired, curiously.

            _::Once.  Very briefly.  He was Ginrai’s Spark-brother,::_  the former soldier answered.  _::Ginrai was one of my seniors in the Voyager Class elite unit.::_

            _::I would imagine that this Prime is still likely on Cybertron,::_   Drift added.  _::Destroying the spacebridge didn’t just strand the colonies—it stranded those on Cybertron as well.  They might have been working on refurbishing the old shuttles the past two million years, but without knowing where the Decepticons were—it would be futile to simply launch into the universe and hope to find them.::_    Then the younger grey-and-white mech gave a gentle sigh.  _::You are certain that there are no ships here on Corona?::_

            _::None,::_   Magnus responded, regret in his comm-link voice.

            _::Well, there are ships on Fortress,::_   Drift said, firmly.  _::Megatron did **not** construct something new—he cannibalized the original colonization ships.  They were only being used as habitation blocks anyways.::_

            _::But……..do those ships **function**?::_   The old soldier asked.

            _::For the most part, **yes**.  We would just need to choose a ship and cannibalize the rest for the parts we’d need.  I think, though………..we should **probably** find a better mechanic than myself.   I am not awful, by any means, but I do **not** know everything…….::_   the younger mech trailed off. _::Does the council still have my speeder?  I would like to get that quantum drive back, if I can.::_

            _::They likely do,::_   Magnus responded, then gave a soft sigh.  _:: **Gah** , whatever am I thinking?!   I am no grand hero!::  _He sent to Drift, admonishing himself for even thinking such epic adventures.

            _::No?   But even if you are not, **this** young one might be,::_   Drift said, focusing on Hot Rod.  _::There’s a reason he’s dreaming about the Chaos-Bringer.::_    Drift laid there and could feel an absolute sense of “no” from Magnus.  _::Would you deny him his destiny and keep him a sheltered child forever?::_

            Magnus felt a chaotic swirl of emotions fill him.  He _knew_ ……he had **_always known_** …….the moment he saw the different blue optic orbs of the sparkling in the Well.  Hot Rod was _different_ …….he was **_special_**.  As time kept moving forwards, Magnus was becoming more and more aware of that potential from his ward—and now, his lover.   The most recent awakened ability was yet one more thing to prove that his little star was moving towards something big………… _a grand destiny_.   He incycled a deep breath and turned his optics back over towards Drift.

            _::How do we get to Fortress?::_   The old soldier asked.

            _::We’ll reset the coordinates of the spacebridge—jury-rig it, if an easy reset isn’t possible,::_   Drift responded.

            _::They’ve **never** connected between colonies……..::_   the white-and-blue mech murmured in comm-link.

            _::Why not?  They **should**.  Cybertron was simply keeping the colonies separated.  There is no legitimate reason the spacebridges cannot connect the colonies if the right GPS coordinates are programmed in!::_   The former Decepticon argued.

            _::Three mechs against the universe…….it sounds like a bad movie plot,::_   Magnus comm-linked with a groan. 

            _::Just the kind Hot Rod would love,::_   Drift chuckled, warmly.  _::However, I rather like the odds.  My teacher said to **never** give in to the odds—no matter how low they were, you could **always** make them work to your advantage.::_

            Starscream could indeed be cold and calculating, but he was in no way any kind of fool!  The Decepticon examined things from every potential angle before choosing his path.  This often put him at odds with Megatron’s brute force ways, but both mechs realized the benefits of the other’s methods and worked together only to forward the Decepticon Cause, as ordained by Liege Maximo.

            “Hey……….you guys’ engines have been rumbling for a while now.   What’ve you been talking about?”  Hot Rod asked, tilting his head so he could gaze into Magnus’ optics.  “Is it _fragging_?  I do hope it’s fragging!”  He asked, excitedly, levering himself up a bit so he could crawl up and lay out atop Magnus’ body.

            Magnus only chuckled, while Drift broke out into full laughter.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            “You’re _sure_ that this is what you need to do?”  Siren asked, a soft tone in his voice.

            “I cannot promise that either of us will be back, but I would like to hope that one day we will return to Corona and resume our daily lives,” Magnus responded, dipping his shoulders low and he laid a servo on Drift’s shoulder to make him do the same.

            “I find it hard to believe you’re taking Hot Rod with you into danger.  Are you sure about doing that?”  The Chief of the First Precinct inquired, tilting his head curiously.

            “I believe I _have_ to.  It may be……….what _he_ needs to do as well,” the former soldier responded with a deep sigh.

            “Very well………..I will post this as a long leave of absence, _without pay_ ,” Siren sighed.  “Have you spoken to the trine about this, yet?”  He asked, quietly.

            “I’ve scheduled a meeting with them in an hour.  Then I will be going to the University to remove Hot Rod from school,” Magnus answered, straightening up.  Then he nudged Drift in the back.

            “Sir, I apologize as well.  I know this will disrupt my year of community service,” Drift said, formally dipping his shoulders as he spoke his words.  “But **_I_** believe in the legends, I _always have_ ………I understand that Unicron will return one day to wreak his vengeance—and I am also well-aware of the threat that Megatron and his Decepticons pose for us all.  If we can do something to alleviate either of these threats, then I would gladly take such a risk.”

            “ _Gah_ , the **_two of you_** ,” Siren groaned.  “Good luck……..I know you’re doing this to protect all that you love—it’s everything _Sentinel_ taught to you.   You’re a lot like him, Magnus………..and I have greatly enjoyed working with you for the past four million years.”

            With that, Siren rose from his chair and bowed deeply to the both of them.  Magnus and Drift left the precinct, lingering only long enough to give Outback a regretful farewell—with the hope of eventually returning one day.   After leaving the First Precinct, the two mechs went to the Administrative Offices and met with the leadership trine of Corona in a private conference room.

            “I’ll admit…… ** _I_** actually expected this,” Landmine said with a wry smile twisting his lips.  “Sentinel never could leave a task untended………and his student is _no different_ than he is.”

            “We will do our best to assist you, but I admit that I am greatly concerned about connecting two colony spacebridges,” Waverider murmured, folding his hands before him.

            “I would never even give Megatron the opportunity.  As soon as we’re through to Fortress, I plan to _destroy_ its spacebridge console,” Drift said, firmly.  “We will find a ship there and head to Cybertron.”

            “Our intention is to find the current Prime and notify him of the impending danger—from _both_ Megatron and Unicron.  Once we have fulfilled _that_ task, we will evaluate warning the other colonies—and then our duty has been done,” Magnus responded, nodding at the trine.   “If we cannot find this Optimus Prime—then we will simply move on to the colonies to warn them.”

            “ _Damn Sentinel_ —he **_knew_** it would come to this,” Metalhawk growled, looking at his partners.  “Magnus, it seems we have yet _one more thing_ to give to you—from Sentinel Prime.”   Metalhawk produced a computer flashdrive and handed it over to the former soldier.

            Magnus tilted his head, puzzled, at the three leaders of Corona.  He wondered what could possibly be on such a device for someone like him.

            “That contains sets of star charts, as well as the GPS coordinates of _every_ colony, _plus_ Cybertron,” Metalhawk said, very quietly.   “Protect that with _everything_ , Magnus—for the coordinates of all the colonies have been the Council of Primes most _carefully guarded secret_.  It seems it will aid you greatly in this quest you have undertaken.”

            The irises of Magnus’ optic orbs went wide beneath the dark blue tempered glass coverings.   Sentinel Prime truly _had_ prepared for every possible scenario of “ _the worst_ ” of all situations.   He shuttered his optics for a moment, silently thanking Primus………..and the Prime whom he’d once loved with all his Spark.  Then he placed it in a subspace compartment of his left forearm.

            “We will return in three days, to use the spacebridge,” Magnus said, firmly.  “If you could also provide us with the quantum engine parts from Drift’s speeder, plus his swords…………?”   He asked, gazing at the trine.

            “We will provide the things you request,” Landmine responded.  “We shall ask Cloudburst to see you off in the three days you have asked for.”

            After leaving the Administrative Offices, Magnus and Drift went to the University in Lumiere.  Classes had just been dismissed for the day, so Magnus met with Override and the Head of the University, an old mech named Torque.   Magnus left Drift outside, to hang out with Blurr and Hot Rod while he took care of the boring-but-important paperwork.

            Torque had to be the _oldest_ mech that Magnus had _ever_ met in his life.  His armour and frame looked like it was probably once purple-and-blue, with yellow-gold striping—however, now it was dull and faded with his extreme age.   The mech had a long-handled walking stick and puttered about the office collecting the datapads he needed.

            “ _You’re_ Hot Rod’s teacher?”  Magnus gasped, softly, speaking to Override as Torque got everything set up.  “And _Blurr’s_?!”

            “You really seem quite surprised.  I _told_ you the one time I came to pick Blurr up that I’d had a long daytime job—so I would probably _have_ to be a teacher or a cop,” she laughed, poking fun at Magnus’ surprise.

            “But……..your name _is **Nitro**_ , isn’t it?”  The former soldier whispered.

            “Well, I still let my _friends_ call me that—as it’s my birth-name.  But here on Corona, l _egally_ , it’s now Override,” the sturdy-looking femme responded with a warm smile.

            “Does Hot Rod know you’re Blurr’s guardian?”  Magnus asked, still rather shell-shocked.

            “I’d say _not_ —he’d’ve made a bigger deal about it if he had,” Override chuckled, warmly.   “Blurr is independent, he _always has been_.”

            Then Torque was ready for the dismissal interview and the paperwork.  Magnus impressed the idea that he had hoped that Hot Rod could return to the University one day, but he could not guarantee any specific time or date for that return.   They eventually came to the agreement which would allow Hot Rod an indefinite leave of absence, with options for “education resumption” or “education cancellation”.

            Doing this had been _the_ hardest thing that Magnus had to do this entire day.  Because he truly believed in Hot Rod’s education.   It was disheartening that all of this happened, just as the flame-colored mech’s grades had begun to improve!   He’d actually passed his mid-terms in the top ten of the class this time—which was more like a miracle than anything else!   But……..in the end, if this wound up leading to Hot Rod’s ultimate destiny—then the _worst thing_ to do would be to leave the younger mech behind.

            “Hey, Magnus……… _I’d_ like to go, too!”  Blurr said, leaping to his pedes as the former soldier joined them out in the gather area.  “ _Can I_ …….?  Drift said I needed to ask you………”

            “ _Blurr_ ……..” Magnus murmured.  Having him along would really be beneficial to Hot Rod.   But he had no right to ask Blurr to abandon his life and his education here on Corona.   Nor could he let Blurr just abandon Override—independent or not, she was still his guardian.

            “You’re gonna say _‘no’_ ……… _aww, man_!   This is _my chance_ , Magnus!   I can be useful……..my matri taught me about mechanics………plus you’ll eventually wind up on _Velocitron_!”   The young blue-colored mech begged, bowing his shoulders down low and not looking at Magnus.   “Ever since matri told me all about Velocitron, I’ve wanted to go there _so badly_!   My _destiny_ is there!”  Blurr added, with desperate pleading in his voice.

            **_Destiny._**

            Could Magnus deny this to Blurr any more than he could deny Hot Rod coming along on the journey?  If Blurr’s destiny was to one day get to Velocitron and race—should Magnus really risk leaving him behind _now_?  Otherwise—how would Blurr _ever_ get to Velocitron?   The old soldier had trained the two young mechs together for a few years now, he knew they were both capable in combat……..

            …….. _and **neither** of them were younglings anymore_.

            Magnus just had to accept that.

            “Override told me that you’re fully independent, but would you please notify her anyways?  I do not want you leaving her without saying farewell, because I cannot actually guarantee that you will return, either,” Magnus said, very softly, so that only Blurr heard him.

            The look on Blurr’s faceplate filled Magnus with warmth inside.  The young blue-colored mech looked absolutely happy!   The old soldier smiled down at Blurr and gently reached over to rub his helm fondly.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            Three days later the trio of mechs that all lived in Magnus’ hab block gathered at the governmental building where the spacebridge was.   It was a short walk from the Administrative Offices.  The three of them had quite the surprise waiting for them once they got there.  Not only was Blurr waiting for them, but Override was standing right there with her ward.

            “Matri decided she wanted to come, too,” Blurr said, ducking his head apologetically.

            “Override……are you sure?  What about your job?”  Magnus asked, gazing at the sturdy-looking femme.

            “ ** _WAIT JUST AN ASTROSEC!!!_** ”  Hot Rod said, very loudly.  “ _You’re_ Blurr’s guardian?!”  He gasped, staring at his homeroom teacher in disbelief.   “Why didn’t you tell me???”  He whined, draping himself pleadingly on his best friend’s shoulder.

            “There wasn’t really any need to, matri’s let me live on my own for a few years now,” Blurr laughed, rubbing Hot Rod’s helm in a fond manner.

            “Magnus, don’t worry about me or my job.  If there’s a chance we _do_ make it to Velocitron—I would really like to see Blurr race on my old home-turf,” Override chuckled, smiling at the old soldier.  “I have some fairly decent combat capabilities—I worked in Kup’s independent security services on Cybertron for a couple centuries.  I do also happen to be a _damn fine mechanic_ —even though racers have pit crews, it’s always best to educate yourself on maintenance procedures, that way you _know_ when something is wrong in your systems.”

            “My matri’s pretty awesome—I’m glad I wound up with her!”  Blurr said, grinning at Hot Rod.

            “What’s that word mean?”  Hot Rod asked as they all went into the building together.

            “It’s a term from Caprica, it’s short for _‘matriarch’_ —the female head of the family,” Override explained, glancing back at the youths.  “A number of my femme friends on Corona are relocated from Caprica.”

            Cloudburst, the Administrative Assistant, was waiting for the group at the spacebridge portal.  “Magnus……..this container has the quantum engine that was requested—I was surprised to see it was so small, but it _is_ rather heavy,” he said, dipping his head and shoulders politely in greeting.

            Magnus walked over to see if he could lift it without having to get out his Voyager Armour yet.  It _wasn’t_ so bad.

            “I can carry this,” the old soldier chuckled.

            “ _Excellent_ ,” Cloudburst said with a grin and, then, the red-and-grey mech handed a long case to Drift.  “Your swords.  Please be aware—they _will_ need to be confiscated when you return to Corona.”

            “I understand,” Drift said, nodding firmly.  He’d gotten sword clamps on his hips……it would allow him to draw his swords faster than from his back.   Within a few moments, he was able to securely fasten the two sheaths to the clamps at his hips.  Then the former Decepticon backed away to give himself a lot of space—he made a show of drawing and swinging them, before letting them slide back into their sheaths.

            Everyone clapped and Drift’s faceplate tinted pink under his optics.

            “Hot Rod,” Magnus said, softly, motioning to his ward.

            “Yeah, Mags?”  Hot Rod asked, looking up at the one he loved.

            “Always be aware of things around you, do _not_ let yourself become distracted.  The danger that we encounter may even separate us all—and then Drift and I _cannot_ protect you,” the old soldier said firmly.  “Knowing all of this, do you still wish to go?”  He asked.

            “Slag……. ** _yes_**!”  Hot Rod snapped back, reaching up to grab the sides of Magnus’ helm.  Then he stood on the tips of his pedes to force a long, wet kiss between them.

            “ _Um_.  **_Yes_**.  I would also like to ask……..” Magnus trailed off, clearing his throat of static as he held up the silver carrying case with his Voyager Armour inside.  “Can you carry _this_ for me….?  I have to carry the crate.”

            “ _Sure_.  What’s in it?  Feels weirdly light………..” Hot Rod wondered, aloud, as he took the silver case from his lover and guardian.

            “My Voyager Armour,” Magnus said, simply.  “It seems Sentinel Prime sent it to Corona some time back,” he added, glancing over at Override—who merely smiled and shrugged at him in return.

            “There’s a massive suit of armour in here?  _That’s_ fragging awesome!”  Hot Rod laughed, swinging the case around excitedly.

            “Are we all ready?”  The former soldier asked, looking around at the three mechs and one femme in their group.  They all nodded at him.  “Drift, can you reset the coordinates of the spacebridge?”  He inquired, looking over at the young swordsmech.

            Drift was already at the control panel with Cloudburst.  “Give me a moment to check the sys— _by the Pit_ , it **_seriously_** wasn’t just **_that easy_** , was it?!”  He gasped, glancing at Cloudburst.  The red-and-grey mech merely chuckled and shrugged.  “Coordinate settings were changed far too easily, thus proving my point—Cybertron _was_ keeping the colonies separated on purpose!”  He muttered, glancing back at Magnus.

            “ _Mmm_ ,” Magnus murmured.  “I would almost suggest that we could go to any colony instantly this way, but we _couldn’t_ get to Cybertron at all.  Besides, I doubt we should frighten the colonists when their spacebridges suddenly activate after a couple million years.  It’s best that we stick to our original plan of getting a starship on Fortress.”

            “Verbal contact with the colonists before we simply land there would like foster a better sense of trust than simply appearing in front of them,” Override added, nodding.

            Magnus picked up the crate with the quantum engine parts in it and motioned for Drift to lead everyone through the portal, while he brought up the rear.  The group all appeared in an area that could very well be mistaken for a cave, if it weren’t for the few silver portions visible in the walls and the wires hanging down haphazardly from the ceiling.   After everyone was through the portal and gathered in the cavern-like room, Drift drew his swords and slashed the control panel of Fortress’ spacebridge into something vaguely resembling electronics confetti.  He resheathed his blades and exvented heavily.

            “Nice place,” Blurr chuckled, but there was a slight sense of anxiety in his vocalizer.

            “Oh, trust me…….it gets _better_ ,” Drift responded, heavy on the sarcasm, as he grinned at the younger blue-colored mech.

            The group walked out of the strange cavern-like room, met with a sight that was completely different from Corona.  They were met with a dusty, rocky, barren landscape…………which had a few weirdly-inserted metal buildings.  And, in the near distances, there were clusters of small, strangely-shaped mountains.

            “I’d say _‘welcome to my home’_ , but I’d honestly rather be on Corona than to be here again,” Drift said with a dark laugh.  “ _There_ ……..the old colony ships that serve as hab blocks,” he added, pointing at the clusters of odd-shaped mountains.

            “ _Whoa_!  **_Really_**?  I thought they were just huge pieces of rock!”  Hot Rod gasped.

            “The one I was raised in…….. _that’s_ the one that we’ll take.  It’s _smaller_ , can fit about thirty or so crew.  Starscream preferred privacy for his trine and his fleet,” Drift said, taking a few steps forwards.  “Most of the others have been scavenged heavily for parts—as Megatron wanted a large ship for **_all_** his forces.  But Starscream kept his own hab block ship from being scavenged because he wanted to have a way out if he decided it wasn’t worth being allied with Megatron anymore.”

            “Would they have scavenged after you left?”  Override asked as they all began walking towards the “ _mountains_ ” in the near distance.

            “No, I snuck out right before launch with my speeder.  I…… _mmm_ ,” Drift began, but then he stopped talking suddenly.

            Hot Rod switched the silver case he was carrying over to his other servo and laid his newly-freed one lightly in the middle of Drift’s back.  He rubbed his other lover’s back comfortingly.  Magnus wondered if the reason why Drift had stopped speaking had to do with the reason he left the Decepticons in the first place.

            Drift incycled a deep breath, it really was pointless to keep hiding _this_ from them all……..

            “Megatron liked to _force_ Spark-bonding,” Drift said, apprehension filling his vocalizer.  “His reasoning was……………he would be able to find traitors easier.  _And why?_   Because those he trusted the very least, he forced them to bond with someone who was proven to be ultimately loyal to him.   Starscream _despised_ this and encouraged all in his fleet to Spark-bond with one another so that Megatron couldn’t force them.  And then there was _me_.”

            “Spark-bonding can be done, with or without an interface array……..this way he could claim the sparklings of Fortress into his fold, _despite_ their birth-mutations,” Magnus explained, feeling like he now knew where Drift was going with his story.

            And although Hot Rod understood the fact that Drift had no interface array, he was still confused by part of the conversation.  Blurr and Override were completely lost, as they didn’t know about the Sparks that flared and were born here on Fortress.  So, to hear about a lack of an interface array and birth-mutations was very confusing for them.

            “I’m _not_ an aerial type, but as a sparkling I kept wandering into Starscream’s hab block to watch him practice with his swords—so, at one point he wound up _‘adopting’_ me, as the case may be,” Drift continued.  “And while Starscream kept me as close as possible, Megatron knew I was _not_ Spark-bonded to any of the aerial corps.”

            “He was gonna force you to Spark-bond?  That’s **_cruel_**!”  Hot Rod gasped, horrified.

            “Megatron had a femme chosen for me—a warrior of the shadows, with weapon skills to match my own.  Her birth-name was _Nightbird_ , but she later added _‘Shadow’_ to her designation, as an homage to her stealth skills,” the grey-and-white mech murmured, heaving his shoulders with a heavy sigh.  “He was going to have a public Spark-bonding the day of the launch.  And with _that_ ………..he’d _finally_ have the leverage he wanted over Starscream.”

            “You ran away and tried a desperate gamble to get _‘lost’_ from Megatron’s fleet by jury-rigging this quantum engine to a light speeder craft,” Magnus said, in summary.  “That was _extremely_ dangerous, you could have _died_ doing that.”

            “Died or lost……..I would’ve chosen that fate, either way.  I didn’t want Megatron to maneuver Starscream into a corner,” Drift responded.  “Starscream can be very cold and calculating, but he isn’t directly _‘evil’_ , as I would say Megatron is.  I cannot say Starscream is exactly _‘good’_ either, but I really just want my master to continue carving his own path in history……..whatever path that may be.”

            “Pardon me if Blurr and I are a bit lost here.  Birth-mutations?”  Override asked.

            “Those of us born in the very few hotpsots of Fortress—our internal makeup is a bit odd,” the younger grey-and-white mech began answering.  “Our fuel processor tanks are smaller, so we can survive on lesser amounts of Energon.   Our Sparks are also a little smaller…….and we have fewer charge processors—basically we’re efficiently-built by our barren environment.  We also _don’t_ have interface arrays…….it’s all solid protoform and armour down there.”

            “ ** _Slag_** ……that’s bizarre!”  Blurr said with a soft laugh.

            “Not so,” Magnus began, taking a brief glance over at the group as he switched the crate over to his other arm and shoulder.  “The hotspots of the colonies adapt and attune to the rhythm of their world.  I imagine other colony worlds have special mutations as well……..Corona, itself, seems rather predisposed towards offering far more special abilities than Cybertron ever did.   And, as I understand it……… _every_ sparkling that is born on Caprica is _born a femme_.”

            “They aren’t just all born femmes, they have a couple other mutative evolutions,” Override chuckled.  “However, I’m going to keep _that_ a secret……especially since we’ll eventually be going there anyways.”

            “ ** _Matri_** , you’re cruel!”  Blurr groaned, as the stocky femme swatted her ward’s shoulder.

            “I’m _especially_ keeping it a secret from a sex-obsessed brat like you,” Override laughed, rubbing the younger mech’s helm fondly.

            “ _Here_ ………here’s the ship,” Drift said, as they arrived.

            Even though Drift had named it a “ _small ship_ ”…….to Blurr, Hot Rod and Override it looked pretty large.  Magnus compared it to the ships he’d seen in the old shipyards back on Cybertron—the ones gathering nothing but dust, rust and debris.  To the old soldier, he would call it “ _mid-sized_ ”—it was designed with a little bit of luxury in mind, so Magnus would’ve guessed that this would’ve been Solomus Prime’s original colony ship, with his chosen upper-class colonists.

            “Drift, Blurr and I will start looking over the engines.  Magnus, do you think that you and Hot Rod can start clearing away the debris on the outside?”  The sturdy-looking femme asked.  “Ships like this, most of the engine hardware can be accessed internally in the engine room—since it would be likely the majority of repairs would be made while cruising in space.  We _may_ need to check over some of the external portions…….so if you would clear the aft side and under the stylized wing parts, that’d be great.”

            “Why the wings……..I mean, if they’re _just decorative_ ……..?”  Hot Rod asked, curiously tilting his head at his teacher.

            “Because, like _your spoiler_ ………they’re ninety-nine percent decorative and actually have one-percent functionality,” Override laughed, gently rubbing the young flame-colored mech’s helm.  “There are likely stabilizer jets on the undersides of them, to prevent the craft from spinning like a screwdrill when it’s propelled forwards by the aft engines.”

            Hot Rod giggled at her description.  But she _was_ right…….about his spoiler, anyways.  He _didn’t_ really need to have it at all to function properly in his alt mode, but he actually had uses for the spoiler _despite_ that!  Hot Rod grinned up at Override.

            Magnus took the crate down to the engine room while everyone wandered about the ship, exploring.  It was _very_ clean and functional on the inside.  So……the Decepticon that raised Drift clearly cared about tidiness.  He imagined that this Starscream person would’ve kept the exterior clean as well, if it would not have signaled a potential “ _betrayal of the cause_ ”.

            “Here……we’ll go outside and clear things up now,” Magnus said, setting down the crate and looking at Hot Rod as the younger mech joined him.  Hot Rod set the silver case down in the corner and joined up with his lover.

            The two went outside and began peeling dirt and moss-like foliage from the aft section, revealing the blast ports.  Magnus thought the vegetation felt very strange and unnatural to him, but he put it out of his mind as he and Hot Rod both took a wing and began clearing those up as well.   The debris cleared away far too easily, so the old soldier began to think that this Starscream fellow _must have been_ camouflaging the ship to make it look like the others—and yet it was ready to fly at any given moment!

            Hot Rod suggested they clear off the top of the ship and Magnus gave him a boost up, before swinging himself up in a flip, using one of the wing edges.  The two went from aft to stern, cleaning off the too-easy-to-peel-off debris from the ship.  Once it was cleared off, they could see that the ship was primarily silver with a few crimson portions and deep red striping.  It was long in the front, with the stylized wings placed closer towards the aft than the middle.

            Hot Rod laughed as he flopped onto his back atop the starship.

            “What is it, my star?”  Magnus asked, lowering himself to sit beside his young lover.

            “It’s _so different_ than Corona!  _Look at all those stars!_ ”  The young, flame-colored mech said, a bit of awe in his voice.  “The air tastes really bland, though……..”

            “There’s _no atmosphere_ —so this is a lot like Cybertron, actually,” Magnus responded, smiling down at Hot Rod.  “The lichens we pulled off the ship were fake, so I believe the ship was camouflaged.”

            “Heh…….. _that figures_.  It explains why it was so easy to pull off, too!”  The younger mech laughed, grinning up at Magnus.  “We should _name_ the ship, right?  Ships have names?”  He asked, curiously.

            “ _There’s_ an idea.  I’m certain this ship probably had a name once, but I am sure it wouldn’t mind a new name,” the old soldier responded, cupping Hot Rod’s face and leaning over him.

            “ _Mmm_.  Are you _actually_ horny, Magnus?”  Hot Rod murmured, with a teasing tone to his voice as his guardian’s lips brushed lightly over his.

            “Tell me, do you plan to spoil the mood with _talking_?”  Magnus purred, splaying his servo over the flame emblem of his lover’s chestplate.

            _::Magnus—how’s it look out there?::_   Drift’s gentle voice came through the comm-link.

            Magnus sighed and tapped his audial to show Hot Rod that they’d been interrupted. 

            _::It was all too easy to clear away.  I believe it was all fake— **camouflage** ,::_  the old soldier responded.

            _::I see.  Well, Override says the engines are in **perfect** condition,::_   the swordsmech added.  _::Starscream must have had Dirge and Thrust keep the engines in working condition all these years.::_

            _::If that’s so, then perhaps we should all get some rest before we……..::_   Magnus started saying through the comm-link, when suddenly he noticed Hot Rod’s frame shudder and he was staring at the sky in absolute terror.  Magnus sat up straight and looked up……..his jaw dropping in shock.

            “ ** _Dammit!_** ”  Magnus growled aloud, scooping up Hot Rod fast.  _::Drift—fire up the engines, we need to get out of here **NOW**!!!::_   He comm-linked desperately as he leapt off the top of the ship and ducked inside.

            “What’s wrong?”  Drift asked as he and Blurr met Magnus and Hot Rod on the bridge.

            Override had elected to remain down in the engine room until she was certain the engines would function properly without her staring them down.  As soon as Magnus set Hot Rod down, the trembling younger mech grabbed onto Blurr wordlessly.  Magnus and Drift sat down at the dual piloting station and began to flip switches and activate panels.

            “ _What is it?!_ ”  Drift hissed, glaring at Magnus, as the two began swiftly going through all the safety checks.

            “Blurr—you and Hot Rod get seated and secured, this is going to be _rough_!”  Magnus barked out orders in a curt voice.  “Drift, I frankly have _no idea_ what it is………..but I am _not_ sticking around to find out!”  He growled at the younger mech beside him.

            “ _It’s **Unicron**_ ,” Hot Rod said, tonelessly, still clutching desperately to his best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact of this story........while we generally know the female ninja 'bot from the classic cartoon as "Nightbird"--her figural release in Japan under the Legends series (using the Arcee mold--and as I have both figures, you can seriously tell that! XD), as LG-15 names her "Nightbird Shadow". (Wheee, I got to practice my ability to read katakana!!!) Therefore, I decided to pay homage to that in my story. :)
> 
> There are just a few more episodes where Magnus is the primary character focus. You've all probably been wondering about that, or maybe not.........but remember in Episode Zero, Rodimus says that it's "not just my story". Magnus was there at the start and his "focal point" ends with Episode Thirteen (which I've just begun in my notebook). While we drift (HA! Bad pun!) through the colonies......there won't be much of an individual character focal point, as more characters join the group of star voyagers (yes, I said that). But once we get into the end run of the series, the focal point will shift to Hot Rod, as he becomes Rodimus Prime.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading--I appreciate every comment and kudo I receive on my works! :D


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